


I used to think life lost its romance

by Honeyvalentine



Category: Banana Fish (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Comedy, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pining, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-12
Updated: 2020-12-12
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:20:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,148
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28023831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Honeyvalentine/pseuds/Honeyvalentine
Summary: Nadia turns twenty one, Shorter almost burns down the house, Eiji brings his own party hat, and Ash is glad he isn’t dead.(Or in which Ash wishes he could give Eiji more than just a slow dance in a three star Chinese restaurant, and Eiji means forever, no matter the circumstances)
Relationships: Ash Lynx & Okumura Eiji & Shorter Wong, Ash Lynx & Shorter Wong, Ash Lynx & Sing Soo-Ling, Ash Lynx/Okumura Eiji, Okumura Eiji & Shorter Wong
Comments: 19
Kudos: 115





	I used to think life lost its romance

**Author's Note:**

> 😐I hate this mf. Except for the slow dancing scene. Anyways.... love and kisses! Thanks for reading!! Sorry if this makes no sense.

Ash rubs his arms up and down, breathes into his hands. There’s a little gift bag tucked under his arm, earrings from Dillards that Jessica helped him pick out. He’s late again, like he was last year, but nobody particularly cares. They know that he tries his best. 

And that he has an oversleeping problem. 

He makes his way up the back alley, between Chang Dai and its neighboring restaurant. Max offered to give him a ride, but  _ Eiji Okumura _ is going to be coming this year. 

Eiji and Max  _ cannot _ cross paths until  _ after _ Ash wins his heart. 

Ash walks the sidewalk to the back, quickly rapping his fist on the employee entrance. They’re all usually upstairs, but he texted the group that he was on his way, so Shorter most likely got poor Sing to wait by the door.

Ash stands for a moment before it swings open. It’s Eiji. 

Eiji gives a soft smile, before leaning forward, wrapping his arms around Ash’s shoulders. Ash naturally hugs back, hiding his smile against Eiji’s pink long sleeve. He’s warm, and gentle. Shorter’s cologne is starting to rub onto him, but in a good way. The same way he started copying Ash’s rude mannerisms. It’s proof the three of them are always sharing a space. 

“I am so happy to see you! Come in, come in!” Eiji pulls away, he has a party hat on, pointy, strapped under his chin. 

“It’s good to see you Eiji.” Ash replies, flushing, now unable to hide his grin. He lets Eiji lead him upstairs, out of the restaurant and into the pale lamplight of their small living room. 

It’s cramped, but feels like home. The white wooden hall door creaks open, and Nadia slips out. She’s soft looking— her hair fluffy and tousled. She has a black dress on, ending at her fingertips. Lips pink and soft, her eyes are dark, merciful, like Eiji’s. She smiles when their gazes meet. 

“Ash, I’m so glad you came.” She hums, letting Ash sink into the softness of her voice. She leans in, kisses his cheek, to which Ash gladly returns the gesture, warm press of skin beneath his own. He hands her the gift bag. “Happy birthday sis.” 

“Thank you.” 

Nadia is smiling, a heavy glint in her eyes. Ash catches her pearl earrings peeking out from under her short black hair. 

Ash thinks she might be an angel. Nadia presses a hand to his shoulder as she walks past him, bumping downstairs. 

His train of thought is derailed at the sound of Shorter’s laughter from down the hall. Eiji nudges his arm, grinning, and follows the noise into the small, upstairs kitchen. Ash trails after, a bit slower, taking everything in, when he hears his best friends voice chime through the house.

“Is the blonde bitch here yet?!” 

He can hear Eiji giggle, Sing snort. He rounds the corner, swinging through the doorway. 

“You called?”

“Oh fuck yeah!” Shorter slides his sunglasses down his nose, motioning for Ash to come closer. His hair is a little washed out, soft lilac. His skin is golden and his face is lively. Shorter is young, but miraculously is already gaining laugh lines. It’s the sweetest thing about him, in Ash’s opinion. 

Ash rounds the island counter, and lets himself be manhandled into an embrace. Shorter always cards fingers through his hair, always lifts Ash a little off the ground. Does anything that will emit little gasps and squeals from the blonde. 

It’s at that moment, arms around his friend’s shoulders, Ash realizes there are very few things he loves more than the Wong siblings. 

Shorter bumps his nose against Ash’s temple, before putting him down. Ash fixes his coat, combs fingers through his hair. Shorter goes back to pouring out a container of multicolored candles, counting them out. He has 20 set aside already, they are definitely going to burn the place down. Sing is sitting on the counter next to a flat, pink, cake, swinging his legs. 

Eiji is long gone, hunched over the sink, cradling a bowl of leftover frosting, eating it with his fingers. 

“Thats  _ disgusting  _ Eiji _. _ ” Ash laughs, his friend has the cream all over his face, corner of his mouth. His fingers are sticky and a little stained. 

“Oh, greedy American is sad I am not sharing.” He scowls, rubbing frosting from his nose like a rabbit. 

“I’m good, I don’t wanna be a future fatass.”

Eiji lights up with laughter.

“I play sports, I can eat as much as I would want.” He smiles, licking his palm. 

“Sure sure.”

Ash rounds the counter, ruffles Sing’s hair, ignoring his squawk of indiginiation. 

“You need help with anything?” He asks, and Sing shakes his head, glaring. 

“Nah, we’re almost done.” Shorter smiles, pulling out his lighter. The cake is  _ covered _ in candles.

“Fuck dude— your sister is elderly.”

“She is not!! She just deserves  _ extra _ candles.”

“I’m pretty sure that’s not how the system works.”

“I’m pretty sure Nadia surpasses that.”

“I’m pretty sure you just lost count or something.”

Shorter laugh confirms Ash’s suspicions. He picks up the platter and walks it over to their smaller table, it’s circular and mahogany with a book propped underneath one of the wobbly legs.   
Ash feels genuine terror at Shorter’s excitement to light the array of wicks in front of him. Ash sits down, looking up when Eiji smiles and bumps his hip. There are only four chairs, and Ash immediately gets the message. He could die happy after tonight, face red, arm around Eiji’s waist. Him and Shorter make eye contact, a mutual  _ holy shit! _ Communicated between them. Shorter can burn the place down tonight for all Ash cares. 

Sing excitedly pulls Nadia inside by the hands, sitting her down. She laughs, head tilted back, glowing. Her grimace at her little brother’s miniature campfire is as endearing as it is concerning. 

“Careful Shorter.” Ash chides, smiling. 

“Don't tell him what to do.” Sing murmurs, leaning back in his chair. Fucking middle schoolers. Shorter Wong is a  _ horrible _ choice of someone to idolize. 

“Be nice to Ash!” Shorter laughs, making his cousin pout in his seat. 

Ash is sharing a chair with Eiji to his right, Sing to his left. Shorter and Nadia are across from him. Nadia looks like dying, and Ash wonders how she managed to raise him sober.

Shorter gets the lights, and her face is bright in the glow of the candles. They flicker around her face, her eyes, she's smiling and full of mirth. She leans her head back, looks at her brother, open and emotional. It’s a big deal, surviving for twenty one years. 

They sing to her, and Ash relishes in Eiji’s soft accent on the words. He’s particularly interested in his pronunciation of “ _ birthday”,  _ the word soft and carefully enunciated in his mouth. The same way he says  _ Ash-u. Ash-lan _ . First language or not, there is nothing more tender than keeping a careful eye on how the same words sound in different mouths. Eiji’s is Ash’s favorite. 

They finish the song, Nadia clearly annoyed at her brother’s loud, obnoxious voice. She takes a breath, blowing out the candles, smoke soft and gray around her face. Eiji of course, is the first to pull a plate off the pile in the middle of the table. 

“Do you want a big or little one?” Shorter asks, and it’s clear with the glint in his eye that he knows the answer.

“Big please and thank you!” Eiji grins, he’s clearly excited. It’s adorable, and everyone knows it. 

“Here you go baby.” Shorter smiles. His soft spot for Eiji is almost as bad as Ash’s. But Shorter is always soft. With everyone. Ash loves his heart. 

Eiji doesn’t wait, the cake is marble, pink vanilla frosting. Ash looks around the table, and realizes something  _ crucial _ .

“Eiji- why are you the only one wearing a party hat?”

Eiji puts his fork down and  _ scowls _ , crossing his arms. 

“It is because— I am at a birthday party. Is there a problem?”

“You brought your own.” Ash deadpans. Holy shit.

Shorter looks at Ash from across the table, mouthing  _ don’t laugh _ . God, Ash tries his best. 

“Yes, I brought my own.” Eiji confirms, almost  _ daring _ Ash to comment on it. 

“Okay.” Ash mumbles in reply, staring at Shorter. How is Eiji both the love of his life and his favorite person to ruthlessly bully? He bites back laughter, it’s Nadia’s birthday, he is not going to make his friend cry tonight. 

Eiji nods at Ash’s confirmation, and digs right back into his cake. Sing passes Ash a plate. 

“Thank you.” He smiles. 

“You’re welcome” Sing mumbles, meeting the blonde’s eyes for a fleeting moment. He looks flustered. It’s kind of cute. 

Ash  _ loves _ kids. He adores Michael, Skip, inheriting the big brother gene from Griffin. Sing is adorable. 

“How is school Sing?” Eiji asks, tilting his head. Adorable, in a different way. 

“S’fine.” Sing mumbles, he sounds unimpressed, but looks relieved. It’s like he’s torn between joining the conversation and avoiding it altogether. 

“What classes do you like so far, Sing?” Ash turns towards the younger boy. 

Sing blinks, face a little red. “Um— I like English.”

“Me too!” Ash smiles, resting his chin on his palm. “You like to read?” 

“..Yes.” 

Shorter laughs, leaning in towards his cousin. “Why are you acting so fucking shy?” 

“Shorter!” Sing whips around, swatting at the older boy. Ash laughs, tapping Sing on the shoulder. His head whips around, facing the blonde again. 

“Shorter’s an idiot, isn’t he?” Ash winks, and Sing’s eyes go wide, for a split second it looks like something behind them  _ clicks _ . He hides his face behind his hands, mutters a nervous laugh. 

Ash just smiles, amused. This kid is fucking weird. Guess that’s what living with Shorter Wong will do to you. 

  
  
———-  
  


It’s later, and Shorter and Nadia are leaning over the balcony railing. There’s a crack in the sliding glass door, Ash can make out the two of them sharing a cigarette. There’s soft music playing from the tv, and Nadia is swaying a bit. It’s dark, but the moon, the soft lamplight, the cigarette between her teeth, all the light seems to be shining on her somehow. 

Ash is entranced by the two of them, tuning in on their conversation.

“Told you we’d make it out.” Nadia whispers.

“I never said we wouldn’t.” Shorter whips his head towards her, worry etched all over his face.

“Not talking to you. Talking to dad.”

Shorter laughs. “He did say that, didn’t he?”

“To be fair, things didn’t look too good for us.”

“You managed just fine.”

“Yeah. We’re still here.” Nadia breaths, leaning onto the balcony. 

“Yeah.” Shorter mumbles. “Sorry about— everything. You got the worst of it. You know?”

“Don’t be stupid, Shorter.” She pauses, like she’s picking out the right words.

“I chose to take care of you. Every day.” 

“ _ Still _ —“

“Stop that. You know you’ve been just as good to me.”

Nadia is smaller than him, but a little bit sharper. Hard to debate with. Shorter sighs in defeat, and puts his jacket around her shoulders. She's almost drowning in it. When they fall silent, Ash suddenly feels like he’s intruding. 

Would he have those conversations with Griffin? Would they share clothes? 

He turns around, walking back into the main room. Sing is curled on the couch, clearly fighting to stay awake. 

He wanders their house, thinking he could talk to Eiji. He’s not in the bedrooms, not with Sing or outside, the bathroom door is open. 

_ He’s probably in the kitchen. Fucking fatass.  _

Ash rounds the corner, his suspicions confirmed when he hears Eiji’s light humming from behind the door. He smiles, swinging it open and-

and oh my fucking god

_ Eiji is slow dancing with a broom- _

The handle is on the floor, and Eiji has his eyes shut. He’s swaying gently, humming along with the music. His head is dipped down, and his expression is mixed between a soft smile and a determined focus. 

It’s both the cutest, and stupidest thing Ash has ever seen. 

He takes it in for a second, holding his hand over his mouth. It’s when Eiji  _ dips _ his dance partner, eyes shut, completely serious, that Ash loses his fucking mind, laughing in earnest.

Eiji squeals, drops the broom, eyes flying open, and his entire face pales.

“Ash!!”

“Oh my god—what on  _ earth _ Eiji?!” Ash gasps between his laughter. 

“Ash! It is not funny!”

“Oh— oh Eiji!”

“You are horrible.” Eiji pouts, stomping his foot. “I was just cleaning!”

“You were  _ not _ just cleaning.”

“I was. I was being a help. Not like you, laughing at everyone.” Eiji picks up the broom from where he dropped it, tucking it away in Shorter’s cupboard. 

“Were you practicing for prom?”

“I do not know what you are talking about.” Eiji starts, turning towards Ash, arms crossed “Because, I will  _ not  _ be cleaning at the prom.” 

“Oh, you’re going to deny it are you?”

“Deny what? You are a weirdo.”

Ash laughs, god, he fucking loves Eiji. He rubs his eyes. 

“If you wanted a partner, you could’ve just asked me.”

“I am not going to be teased.” Eiji replies, nose in the air. 

“I’m not teasing, cmon.” Ash smiles, holding his hand out. Eiji glares down at it. 

“Fine. But only because I am a nice boy, and do not want to make you cry at rejection.” Eiji huffs, taking Ash’s hand.

“Oh thank goodness, if I was rejected by someone as ugly as you I couldn’t take it.”

“Hmph. I am out of your league. Do not even joke.”

“Do you ever talk to Shorter like this?”

“No. Because Shorter is a nice boy. You are a mean little girl.”

“Aww Eiji…. you don’t mean that.” Ash pouts, putting on the saddest expression he can muster. Eiji holds his bitter look for a fleeting moment before turning apologetic. 

“I know. I’m Sorry. You just made me embarrassed.” He mumbles, he’s too kind. He’s too good. 

“It was cute. Sorry for laughing at you.” Ash tuts, squeezing Eiji’s hips. 

Eiji smiles and looks away. They’re swaying, back and forth. The kitchen is cramped, and the light is golden. Eiji’s eyelashes are pitch black against his cheeks, he’s beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. His skin is soft, like the air surrounding them, and he smells like cinnamon, like vanilla, and a little bit like smoke. Eiji’s hands are warm against his nape, and Ash’s hands are cold against Eiji’s waist, and maybe it’s presumptuous, but Ash believes in his heart that it means something.

Eiji is looking up at him, from where his arms are thrown around the blonde’s neck, looking at him like he’s hung the moon in the sky above them, like Ash isn’t a byproduct of underage sex and alcoholism, like Ash sprouted from a field of flowers, pure, holy, good.   
For a split second, they’re in a mansion, and Ash comes from money, and he can give Eiji more than just a slow dance in the room above a three star Chinese restaurant. Eiji looks at him the same through it all, like he doesn’t even notice their shitty circumstances. Like this is the happiest moment of his life, pure and simple. No tragic implications. 

Swaying back and forth above Chang Dai, Ash scrunches his face. Their foreheads have drifted together, Eiji staring up at him in wonder, adoration. Eiji deserves better than a broken home, an inferiority complex, than hanging around someone like Ash. He looks around, at the rundown apartment of two orphans, at the city that's swallowing its children whole.

“You don’t belong here, Eiji.” He mumbles, shutting his eyes, because the two of them meeting was a fluke. He’s starlight, and Ash is lost at sea. 

“Oh,  _ Ash _ .” Eiji whispers, cupping his cheek. He should be dancing with a good woman, an angel with a dollar in their bank account, but he looks at Ash with such sureness, such  _ fierce belief _ —

“I belong wherever you guys are.”

Brown eyes meet jade ones, swapping mirth back and forth. 

“I know what is right for me.”

At that, Eiji stops his movements, rubbing their noses together. They are so close, Ash holds his breath, afraid that the smallest touch will send Eiji flying away from him, into the night. But Eiji is a warm weight, an anchor, his wings are not clipped, but he refuses to fly away nonetheless. 

When Eiji presses their mouths together, Ash prays to the good and solid ground beneath them.

_ Please, let me be his.  _

Eiji’s lips are soft, and he tastes like painfully sweet frosting, chapstick. They break apart, and kiss each other again, and again, and again. No teeth, no wetness, just a gesture of romance, a declaration of love. Two boys, strange circumstances, golden light and a messy kitchen. Ash is not collateral damage, he is not just a body pressed into a strangers bathroom floor, he is someone who has a best friend, who shares kisses behind cracked doors, who’s heart flutters at the captain of the track team. 

Aslan, for the first time since he was seven, believes he stands a chance. 

They break apart, standing still, and Eiji is smiling. He has a hand on his cheek, cupping it hot and tender. He swipes his thumb, back and forth, caressing Ash’s face like he is worth anything at all. 

Eiji’s phone rings from the kitchen counter, and both of them practically jump.

“One moment  _ Ash _ .” Eiji grins, both boys giggling fitfully. Ash doesn’t see who’s calling, but Ash assumes it’s Ibe when Eiji answers in Japanese.

“Ah,” Eiji starts, covering his phone with his hand. His warm, soft hands. “Ash, Ibe is picking me up. I will have to leave.” 

“Thought you drove here?” 

“Ibe needed the car. He dropped me off.” Eiji explains, patting Ash on the cheek. “I am going to say goodbye to everyone. You can clean up for me, yes?”

“Oh fuck you.”

“You kiss me with that mouth! Horrible horrible language!”

Ash laughs, feeling a little shy. God, Eiji is  _ everything. _

Eiji walks back up to him, leaning forward, Ash begins to purse his lips, but Eiji kisses his forehead instead. 

“Text me when you are home sweetie.” He mutters, giving Ash’s shoulder a squeeze. His accent on the pet name makes Ash’s heart stutter, “ _ suh-wee-tee”  _

Eiji swings the door open, and Ash can hear him muttering goodbyes, Eiji’s telltale squeal at Shorter picking him up and spinning him, echoing from the balcony. 

Shorter and Ash, they are without a doubt telepathic at this point. In one fleeting look from across the room, Shorter breaks out into a grin, makes heart hands, a wordless  _ tell me everything _ in the air between them. 

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> THANK YOU FOR READING!! This is actually a small part of a giant highschool au ive been writing for forever, which I may or may not get around to actually finishing and posting. I hope you have had a beautiful day or night and you are v special and I appreciate you reading this hehee! Lmk if you’d be interested in me finishing this mf 😳   
> Love and kisses 😻🙀😻🙀😻🙀😏


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